Soma kept his hands pressed over his eyes.
The flash had been so bright that even his palms hadn't blocked it. White still burned behind his eyelids. Then, slowly, it faded into darkness.
A voice sounded inside his head.
[System initializing… 5%…]
[Initialization paused. Pantheon interview pending.]
[Soul transport in 3… 2… 1…]
[Soul transfer initiated.]
System? Soul transport? What the hell is going on?
The floor vanished beneath him.
His stomach lurched into his throat. He snatched at empty air, twisting as he fell, but there was nothing to catch. No wall. No ledge. Nothing to tell him how far he had left to fall.
Eventually, after accomplishing absolutely nothing with his flailing, Soma squeezed his eyes shut.
Well, I'm screwed.
He hit a hard white floor face-first.
For a moment, he stayed there, waiting for the pain.
Nothing.
He cautiously lifted his head and touched his nose.
I know I smacked the hell out of that floor.
Soma pushed himself upright. White clouds drifted around the platform beneath him, stretching into a pale, empty distance. He couldn't see where the floor ended.
He took one careful step, then stopped.
Yeah. Let's not do the falling thing again.
"Where am I?"
"Oh, there you are, boy! Over here!"
Soma spun toward the voice.
A long table stood a short distance away. Ten figures sat behind it, watching him.
He could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Who the hell are y'all?"
An enormous man rose from his chair. Dark skin stretched over muscles that made Soma's father look almost ordinary. A vein stood out along his neck.
"Where are your manners, boy?"
Wonderful. Survived the fall. Going to die at the table.
Soma straightened immediately.
"My apologies. I was startled." He bowed his head. "I'm Soma Locke, son of Archduke Preston Locke. May I ask who y'all are and why I'm here?"
An older man seated at the center of the table gave the giant a small nod.
The giant held Soma's gaze another moment before sitting.
"There we are," the older man said gently. "No need to frighten him before we've introduced ourselves."
He stood, smoothing his white robes. A long white beard rested against his chest, and the top of his head was completely bald. His expression was kind, though the larger man had obeyed him without argument.
"Young Soma. It's good to finally meet you. I am Arthur, the Pantheon of Creation."
Soma forgot whatever he had been about to say.
Arthur.
The Pantheon of Creation.
His eyes moved across the table again.
He had read stories about the Pantheons. Most were impossible to separate from legends, but the histories of the Citadel contained accounts from those few who had reached its summit.
One had described an old man in white robes with a long white beard.
Soma looked back at Arthur.
"The Pantheons?"
Arthur smiled. "I take it you've heard of us."
"Bits and pieces." Soma swallowed. "Y'all protect Hallowcrown. Keep things running. Work through others because you can't come down yourselves."
"A fair summary. We do what we can from here, but our reach has limits. There are people we cannot help as readily as we would like."
"And that's why I'm here?"
"Yes."
Soma glanced down at himself.
"What can I do?"
Arthur let out a warm laugh.
"You have a habit of asking that. You work, study, prepare—and still question whether you're capable enough. You did it in your previous life, too."
Soma went still.
"My previous life?"
"Yes."
"I don't remember what I was like."
Arthur's smile softened.
"You will."
Soma opened his mouth, but Arthur lifted a hand.
"We'll come to that. First, introductions."
He gestured toward the far end of the table.
"Val, the Pantheon of Combat."
A tall beastfolk woman leaned forward, resting her muscular forearms on the table. Her gaze traveled over Soma's stance, lingering on his feet before returning to his face.
"You always stand like you're waiting for permission to run, squirt?"
"Only when someone that big threatens me." Soma glanced at the enormous man.
Val laughed, revealing sharp canines.
"Good. You've got some sense."
There was something unsettling about her attention. Soma had seen hunters watch the tree line with that same patient focus.
He made himself stop shifting his feet.
Val noticed. Her grin widened.
"And next to her," Arthur continued, "is Rokan, the Pantheon of Beast. I believe you two have already made an impression on each other."
Rokan folded his arms.
"Respect costs nothing."
"Neither does saying hello," Soma muttered.
Rokan's eyes narrowed.
Apparently, my mouth would like us both dead.
A quiet chuckle came from farther down the table.
"I like him," a man said, turning a coin between his fingers.
Arthur sighed. "That would be Luck, the Pantheon of Luck."
Soma blinked.
"Your name is Luck?"
"Makes introductions easier." The coin vanished into his palm. "Usually."
"Can we finish this?" a woman asked sharply.
She sat upright in dark robes, her pale face drawn into an expression of open impatience.
"Azriel," Arthur said, "the Pantheon of Magic."
"Why do we need a human?" Azriel demanded. "His family's standing means nothing here. We have others we could rely on. People who actually carry our blood."
"You mean divine blood?" Soma asked.
Her eyes snapped toward him.
"Do not interrupt me, brat."
Soma hesitated.
"Right. Sorry. But I have divine blood."
The table fell quiet.
Azriel stared at him.
"What did you say?"
Soma looked around. "Does anyone have a knife?"
Val drew a small blade and slid it across the table, handle-first.
"Careful with the edge."
Soma picked it up and drew a shallow line across his palm.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then gold welled from the cut.
Luck's coin slipped between his fingers and struck the table.
"Holy shit," Val said.
Azriel was on her feet.
"Arthur. Did you know?"
Arthur studied Soma's hand. For the first time since Soma had arrived, his expression held no trace of a smile.
"I did not."
Soma looked from one face to another.
That's probably not a good reaction.
"Then we need to reconsider," Azriel said.
"It changes nothing about what we need him to do."
"He has divine blood."
"I can see that. He still has to grow strong enough to face the Citadel."
"Then he shouldn't—"
"Enough, Azriel."
Arthur hadn't raised his voice, but she stopped.
Soma lowered the blade.
"Shouldn't what?"
Azriel pressed her lips together.
Arthur looked at him. "Your blood raises questions we need to examine. We will not settle them by arguing over your head."
That wasn't an answer.
Soma glanced at Azriel once more, then set the knife on the table.
Fine. But I'm remembering that.
"May I see your hand, sweetheart?"
A pale elven woman had approached while the others were speaking. Beautiful wings shifted behind her as she held out a hand.
Soma offered his injured palm.
A gentle warmth passed through it. The cut closed, leaving unbroken skin beneath the smear of gold.
"There," she said. "Much better. I'm Avery, the Pantheon of Nature."
"Thank you. It's nice to meet you."
"And you." She gave his hand a reassuring pat before releasing it.
"You could have just told us more about your blood," Arthur said.
Soma looked at Azriel.
"I didn't think she'd believe me."
Val snorted.
"He's got you there."
"Moving on," Arthur said firmly. "Rosealie, the Pantheon of Love."
A petite blonde woman in a fluffy pink dress smiled at Soma. Her hair was tied into two ponytails, and she looked younger than he would have expected.
"It's lovely to meet you, Soma."
"You too."
"And try not to worry. Arthur will make sure everyone behaves."
Her smile never changed, but her eyes briefly moved toward Azriel.
"Dax, the Pantheon of Technology," Arthur continued.
A handsome man in a fitted suit inclined his head. His black hair was neatly arranged, his posture exact.
"A pleasure. We'll discuss your System shortly."
"I'd appreciate that," Soma said. "It started talking, and then I fell out of the sky."
Dax glanced at Arthur.
"The arrival could use refinement."
"Noted," Arthur said. "Finally, Orin, the Pantheon of Knowledge, and Maverick, the Pantheon of Trade."
Orin looked like he belonged behind a library desk. He offered a small, awkward wave.
"Hello."
Beside him, Maverick adjusted his glasses. His suit was as immaculate as Dax's, though his attention seemed far more interested in Soma than in his arrival.
"Welcome, Soma."
Arthur sat and gestured to an empty chair on Soma's side of the table.
"Now. Let's discuss why you're here."
Soma sat carefully, grateful to put something solid beneath him.
"I'm guessing this isn't part of a normal awakening."
"It isn't. We don't ordinarily meet new Awakeners."
"Then why me?"
Arthur rested his hands on the table.
"Because we need someone who can walk Hallowcrown."
"Couldn't you send one of the gods?"
"No. Neither the gods nor the Pantheons can walk its surface. That boundary exists to preserve the balance between our power and the people living there."
"Because you'd be the strongest beings in the world."
"And our presence would have consequences, whether we intended them or not. From here, we can sustain the world and offer guidance. We cannot simply go where trouble is and put an end to it."
"But I can."
"Yes. We want you to act as our vessel. To go where we cannot, investigate what we cannot see, and help those beyond our reach."
Soma frowned.
"Vessel meaning…?"
"You would act on our behalf," Arthur said. "Your decisions would remain your own."
"All right. And what exactly am I investigating?"
Arthur's expression grew solemn.
"Our children are disappearing."
Soma sat a little straighter.
"Your children?"
Rokan's arms unfolded.
"Ours. Those of the other gods. Humans, beastfolk, elves. Children from families with no divine connection at all."
"Taken?"
"Yes," Arthur said.
Soma looked around the table. Even Val had stopped smiling.
"Do you know if they're alive?"
No one answered immediately.
His stomach tightened.
"We don't know," Arthur said at last.
Soma looked down at his healed palm. Somewhere, children were waiting for help. Their families might not even know where to start looking.
He thought of his own family searching for him and finding nothing.
"How long has this been happening?"
"Long enough that we can no longer dismiss the disappearances as unrelated," Arthur said. "We need someone on the surface to find the connections."
"I haven't even finished awakening. I don't know my class or my affinities. I might not have what you need."
"We believe you have considerable potential. Otherworlders often awaken powerful classes and affinities, though we cannot tell you precisely what yours will be."
Soma exhaled.
"That's a pretty big gamble."
"Most worthwhile things are," Luck said quietly.
"You would say that."
Luck gave him a small shrug.
Arthur leaned forward.
"We are asking you to begin looking, Soma. Gather information. Follow what leads you can. Grow strong enough to act on what you discover. We will also give you gifts to help."
Soma considered that before asking his next question.
"And if I say no?"
"You return to your awakening and live your life."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Your class and affinities would remain yours. Refusing us would not take them away."
"But no gifts."
"Correct," Maverick said.
"And the System?"
Dax answered this time.
"You would retain access to Nexus. Your awakening would proceed normally. What we are offering is an upgraded System, separate from Nexus, with additional functions to support your work."
"So I'd have both?"
"Yes."
Soma leaned back.
At fifteen, awakening meant becoming an adult in Hallowcrown. It meant making his own decisions and accepting the consequences. For many, it also meant the end of their parents' support.
He had known his life was about to change.
He hadn't expected ten Pantheons to be waiting with a job.
"I want to help those children," he said. "But wanting to help and being able to do it are two different things."
"They are," Arthur agreed.
"I'm not going to promise I can defeat whoever's behind this before I even know what I can do."
Rokan gave him a slow nod.
"Good. An empty promise would help no one."
"What we need first is information," Arthur said.
"Then give me somewhere to start."
"The Fallen may know something. We also believe the Righteous warrant investigation."
At the mention of the Righteous, Soma's hands tightened against the arms of his chair.
"Because they attacked me."
"Yes. We've been trying to learn more about them, but so far, we have very little."
"And the Fallen?"
"Gods and demigods who have been stripped of their divine blood," Rokan said.
Soma looked up at him.
"Stripped of it? Why?"
"Because they abused the power it gave them." Rokan's voice hardened. "Murder. Corruption. Treating living beings as playthings. Some refused every warning they were given."
"It is not a punishment we give lightly," Arthur added. "But sometimes allowing them to keep that power would mean allowing others to suffer."
Soma glanced at the faint gold still marking his palm.
"And you think they're involved?"
"We don't know," Arthur said. "They are a possible lead. Nothing more."
Soma nodded slowly.
"You also said something about the Citadel earlier. When you told Azriel the plan hadn't changed."
"Your growth matters beyond this task," Arthur said. "As you rise in rank and overcome the Temples, you may eventually become strong enough to challenge the Citadel."
"And then?"
"Your divine blood means a place among us may be possible. But it is something you would have to earn."
Soma stared at him for a moment.
Right. Find missing children. Challenge the Citadel. Possibly become a Pantheon. Very normal awakening.
"I think I'll worry about getting through today first."
Arthur chuckled.
"A sensible place to begin."
Soma glanced along the table once more.
"If I find something, how do I tell you?"
"Visit one of our temples and pray," Arthur said. "We can bring your soul here to speak with us."
Soma looked down at the white floor.
"Could we skip the falling next time?"
"I'll address the transfer," Dax said.
"Please do."
For a few moments, Soma said nothing.
He still wanted an answer to Azriel's unfinished sentence. He wanted to know what Arthur meant about his memories, and why his blood had surprised people who seemed to know so much about him.
But none of those questions changed the fact that children were missing.
"All right," Soma said. "I'll help. I'll look into the disappearances and follow whatever leads I can. If I find something I can't handle, I come back to y'all."
"Agreed," Arthur said.
"And I'm doing this my way. I'll listen to your advice, but I'm the one down there."
Val's grin returned.
"There's a spine."
Arthur inclined his head.
"You have our gratitude, Soma."
The familiar voice echoed inside Soma's head.
[Pantheon interview complete.]
[System initialization resumed…]
Dax straightened in his chair, studying something only he could see. Maverick adjusted his glasses, while Orin leaned forward with sudden interest.
Soma glanced between them.
"Should I be worried?"
"Not at all," Dax replied.
"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better."
Arthur chuckled.
"Come now, Soma. It's time we returned you to your Awakening."
Soma looked down at the white floor, remembering his rather undignified arrival.
"Please tell me the trip back is going to be smoother."
Dax adjusted his cuffs.
"I've made the necessary corrections."
"That's reassuring. Mostly."
A gentle warmth spread through Soma's body as the world around him began to brighten.
[System initialization complete.]
[Transport to reality commencing in 3…]
[…2…]
[…1…]